On Thursday, August 23, the Senate passed the Labor-HHS Appropriations bill as part of an appropriations package by an 85-7 vote. This bill funds many agencies of the federal government, including most of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
As NIHB previously reported, Labor-HHS funds many programs that are particularly important to Tribal Public Health. This appropriations season has seen the Tribes secure significant increases in funding for several of these programs, and it is vital that these gains remain in the final legislation. The House has not yet passed its Labor-HHS funding bill.
An Interior Appropriations bill, which funds the Indian Health Service and many other agencies working in Indian Country, has been passed by the House and Senate each. A conference committee will soon meet to negotiate differences in that bill for final congressional approval.
The current fiscal year ends on September 30. When the House returns from recess on September 4, there will be eleven legislative days remaining before then. Congress would either have to pass each of these appropriations bills in that time, or pass a short term Continuing Resolution to avoid a shutdown.
For more information about FY 2019 Appropriations, contact NIHB Director of Congressional Relations, Caitrin McCarron Shuy, at cshuy@nihb.org.
